fuel gauge issue - Maintenance and Repair Forum

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fuel gauge issue
Friday, April 12, 2013 8:35 PM
hey guys, new to the forums and have a 99 cavalier that i'm having a few issues with, main one is my fuel gauge is completely unreliable under 3/4ths of a tank, perhaps even more. i know how many MPG i get and tank size, but i hate having to always keep a hawks eye on my mileage and calculate how much gas i have left based on my mileage.

so i guess my main question is, is whatever sends how much gas i have to the gauge replaceable separate from the fuel pump or is it all one assembly? and if it is, is there any possibility that i can bring it back to life so i don't have to spend $200 + on a new fuel pump? any info is welcome!

Re: fuel gauge issue
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 12:52 PM
All one assembly.


- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new



Re: fuel gauge issue
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 1:14 PM
I'm not sure about this,but it isn't it the guage that is the problem,not the sending unit. I have the same problem and it is a hassle keeping track.
Alot of people swap to a sunfire cluster for this reason. Correct me if im wrong.
Re: fuel gauge issue
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 1:55 PM
Carl Calvin wrote:I'm not sure about this,but it isn't it the guage that is the problem,not the sending unit. I have the same problem and it is a hassle keeping track.
Alot of people swap to a sunfire cluster for this reason. Correct me if im wrong.


I've never seen a cluster go bad on a 2002 or earlier cluster.

I have an 04, and my cluster went bad, and my friend had an 05 and hers did as well.

I've been fixing cars for a living since 2006, and have yet to see bad a cluster from an older model. Not saying it isn't possible though.


- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new



Re: fuel gauge issue
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 2:28 PM
My 99 does the same thing once it gets to 1/4 tank it gets real erratic going up and down while driving, etc... The sending units in these cars and other gm's are sensitive to sulphur deposits corroding the contacts on the sending unit. Try running a bottle of techron or bg 44k fuel system cleaner next time you fill up. If it's not too late, it might just solve your problem. I tried the techron and it didn't really help. I still might try the BG 44K. I've heard good things about it.
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